Not What It Seems
by ElodieAuvray
Summary: A rich teenage girl is abducted, and rescued by the LVPD. However, when returned home, the girl's stepfather is brutally murdered, and all of the evidence points towards an unlikely suspect.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI. If I did, I wouldn't have spent over an hour queuing to get on Oblivion last week. I do own Megan and her family, though.

Chapter 1

Megan, Daniel and Lucy Alexander skipped down their garden path together and onto the sidewalk to school together, laughing at everything that was even the tiniest bit funny. Lucy and Daniel looked up to their big sister, and trusted her to look after them as best she could.

A white van, badly in need of a wash, suddenly pulled up beside them, and a window was rolled down. A middle-aged man stuck his stubbly-haired head out.

"'Scuse me miss, but you wouldn't be able to tell me how to get onto the highway from here? My friend and I can't make heads or tails of this map."

Megan went over to the van and looked at the map. "Well, it's actually pretty easy. You take that turn-off over there, and then -" A man suddenly jumped out of the back of the van a grabbed Megan. He held his hand over her mouth and dragged her into the back of the van. The van drove off, and Daniel and Lucy ran back into the house.

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Grissom and Catherine stepped under the yellow tape, to where a young woman was standing with her two children, and a man who looked like her husband. The woman had obviously been crying, as her eyes were red and puffy. Both children stood closer to their mother as Grissom and Catherine came closer, and neither CSI felt offended. After all, their big sister had just been abducted from right outside their house.

"Ms Alexander?" asked Grissom. "Gil Grissom, Las Vegas Crime Lab. I was wandering if you could tell me what happened?"

"I can!" said the blond-haired girl beside Ms Alexander.

Catherine knelt down and smiled at the little girl. "Hi, I'm Catherine. What's your name?"

"Lucy Caitlyn Melissa Alexander," Lucy recited proudly.. "I'm five years old in a month."

"Wow, that does make you a big girl, doesn't it? So, Lucy, what happened when you were walking to school?"

Lucy looked up at the sky and screwed her face up. "Well…we were walking to school like we always do with Megan. I had just drawn her a picture, and she put it up on the refrigerator. We had just got onto the sidewalk, and I was keeping to the inside like Mommy tells me to, because then I won't get hit by a car. A white van came up to us and a man opened the window and asked Megan how to get onto the highway. She began telling him, and then a man got out of the back and put her in the van. It drove away, and then Daniel and me went back to the house and told Mommy what had happened."

"Thank you Lucy," smiled Catherine. "You've been a big help."

She stood up and went to the sidewalk with Grissom, where Nick and Warrick were already taking pictures and searching for any evidence. Brass stood by.

Grissom began to give out orders to his team. "Brass, I need you to take care of the Amber Alert. Talk to the mother and make sure that the right information gets out. Nick, Warrick, you'll handle the scene. Don't overlook anything, don't assume that any evidence isn't useful. Catherine, you and I will be dealing with the family. Somebody obviously has a motive for taking this kid, and we will not stop until he is locked up in jail."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Megan hugged her knees closer to her chest. Her captors were busy tucking into burgers and fries. The sight and smell of delicious food was making Megan's mouth water and stomach rumble. She hadn't eaten a thing since last night, and even at that it was just a piece of toast with grilled cheese.

(Flashback)

"Megan, hurry up! You'll be late!"

"Coming, Mom!"

She ran down the stairs two at a time, hastily knotting her school tie. That was one of the few bad points about private schools - posh uniforms that took ages to get on. She longed to be able to just throw on a pair of pants and a tee-shirt some mornings.

"Bye Mom!" she said, planting a quick kiss on her mother's cheek and running out of the door with her brother and sister. Breakfast would have to wait until school. Thank God for the school breakfast club…

(Flashback ends)

It seemed like a lifetime ago she had left the house. Daniel and Lucy must have been so scared when she disappeared, and who knew the agony that her mother must be going through, not knowing where her daughter was. Jason probably didn't care at all. He had never cared about anything, not even when the school bully had picked on Lucy and Megan had engaged in a fight with him, resulting in exclusion and a month's worth of detentions.

"Over here," grunted one of the men, standing up and wiping his hands on his jeans, which looked quite dirty already. Megan slowly got up and walked over to the phone where the man was standing.

"We are going to call your parents and make a demand for a ransom. You will speak to them and assure them that you are still alive and well, and ask for them to pay the ransom. Understood?"

Megan nodded miserably. Being rich really sucked.

The man began to speak sharply to the person on the other end. He passed it over to Megan, who took it nervously.

"Mom?"

"Megan! Where are you, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Look, Mom, I'm okay, but please, can you pay the ransom? I can come home if you do."

"Well, the police have told us not to, but I'll see what I can do. Don't worry Megan, we'll get you home."

On the other end, Caitlyn Alexander hung up and looked desperately at the police officers beside her.

"I'm sorry, Ms Alexander," sighed Warrick. "It wasn't long enough to get a location."

Caitlyn sat down on the couch and burst into sobs. Warrick sat down beside her and put his arm around her. He looked at Sara for help. She shrugged. Dealing with the family members wasn't a strong point of hers.

"Ms Alexander, I assure you, we are doing everything we can to find your daughter," said Sara. Her cellphone started ringing. "Sidle."

"Sara, it's Greg. Listen, there was an indentation on one of the trash cans from the crime scene of a car plate. I did some computer magic and I got a hit. We also got an address. Grissom says to meet him there." He recited the address to Sara, who made a mental note of it. She turned to Warrick.

"Greg managed to track down the car that Megan was abducted in, and an address for the owner. Grissom wants us to meet him there." Warrick stood up. He turned to Caitlyn.

"Ms Alexander, we have to go, but if we find her, I can assure you that she will be brought back here straight away." Caitlyn nodded tearfully as the two CSIs left and accelerated out of the drive.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Megan lay on the dirty bed, sobbing her heart out. The pain in her mother's voice had been unbearable to hear, and the police were telling her not to pay the ransom. She wished she had asked for a lift this morning, or just walked back into the house when the guy had asked for directions. She had always been told not to talk to strangers, and when a stranger actually spoke to her she fell right into his trap.

A sudden bang made her sit up straight. What the…

One of the men burst into the room and pulled Megan up off the bed. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"The cops are trying to get in," he snapped. "Into the closet, now."

He pushed Megan in and held his hand over her mouth, and the other hand around her arms. There was now way she could escape, even if she tried to. There was an incredibly loud bang, and footsteps were heard from below. Megan could only assume that the police had succeeded in breaking the door down. The footsteps came closer and closer, until the closet door was opened and a policeman in a bullet-proof vest stood in the doorway.

"Sir, step away from the girl and put your hands up," he said in a Texas accent. Megan's captor slowly moved away and was cuffed by the policeman. Another policeman with short, grey hair and a beard came in and helped Megan up.

"It's okay," he said. "You're safe now."

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Megan stepped out of the SUV and ran into her mother's arms. Daniel and Lucy came running out and hugged her as well.

"Thank you so much, Mr Grissom," said Caitlyn. "I don't know how I can ever thank you enough."

"No need to, ma'am," smiled Grissom.

One Day Later…

"Hey Grissom, this just came in," said Catherine. "Guy found dead in his home by fiancé and kids."

Grissom took the piece of paper with the address from Catherine and gasped. The address was that of Megan Alexander.

A/N: Don't worry, it doesn't end there!! By the way, who watched the CSI:New York season finale? I was left with my jaw on the floor!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Grissom and his team ducked under the yellow tape that had once more been put up outside the Alexander house. This time, Caitlyn stood with her three children outside the house, and Jason was the absentee. Everyone except Megan was or had obviously been crying. Megan kept glancing anxiously at the police, as though she had something to hide.

Inside, Jason lay dead on the living room floor in a spreading pool of blood, a single stab wound to his chest. A small silver knife lay beside him, and nobody had any doubt that it was the murder weapon. Greg and Nick stayed inside to process the scene, and Warrick and Sara went to look for any evidence in the garden, while Catherine and Grissom went to talk to the family.

"Ms Alexander?"

Caitlyn looked up. Her eyes were full of both pain and anger. Nobody could blame her; her daughter had been abducted and her fiancé murdered in the space of 48 hours. The pain must have been unimaginable.

"I know this is hard, but can you think of anyone with a grudge against your family, who might want to hurt you at all?"

Caitlyn shook her head. "There's nobody that springs to mind. The kids have always been popular at school, and I get along pretty well with everyone I know."

Grissom nodded. "Well, I'll have my team check it out. With both crimes occurring in such a small time period, there's not much chance it's a coincidence."

Megan bit her lip. As she did, Catherine noticed that she had braces. One of the top brackets was missing.

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The team gathered around a table in the lab, with all of their evidence laid out in front of them.

"Sara and I found nothing in the back or around the perimeter," said Warrick. "No signs of forced entry, so it looks like our killer was somebody that Jason knew or trusted."

"The knife that was used to stab Jason belonged to our family, so obviously their prints were on it," added Nick. "I couldn't find any other prints on the handle or the blade."

"Anything else?" asked Catherine hopefully.

"Nothing," said Sara, shaking her head. "The only other evidence is the body and blood samples taken from the scene. "

Catherine sighed. The only other thing they had to go on was witness reports, and they were never as strong in court as physical evidence.

"I'm going to interview Megan again," Catherine said suddenly. Everyone stared at her. "There's something suspicious about her, I just want to make sure I know she's telling the truth."

She got up and went to see Brass, while everybody else stared at the door, their jaws on the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Look, Megan, I'm not accusing you of anything, I just want you to tell me what happened!"

Megan rolled her eyes and sighed. "I was walking home with my best friend Ally and Lucy and Daniel. Ally was coming back to my house because her parents were out. We got to the house and when we went inside I saw Jason on the floor. I got everyone out and called 911. End of story."

"I notice you have a bracket missing. How'd that happen?" questioned Catherine. Megan looked at the floor.

"I got hit by a basketball in gym class," she mumbled.

Catherine still wasn't convinced. She stood up and stormed out of the interrogation room, cursing Megan under her breath. There was definitely something that she was keeping to herself.

"Hey, Cath!" Warrick called out to her as she pushed past him in the corridor. "The doc wanted to see you, said he found some new evidence in the vic."

"Thanks," replied Catherine. "And I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to push you. I'm just having a rough day."

Warrick nodded understandingly as Catherine went to the coroner's office.

"What've you got for me, Doc?"

Robbins looked up from his computer and handed a plastic bag to Catherine. Inside was a small piece of metal, with a blue elastic band on it.

"I have absolutely no idea what it is," admitted Robbins. "I asked David, and he doesn't know either."

"I do," sighed Catherine. "Thanks, Doc."

She walked out of the coroner's office, satisfied that she finally had enough evidence to convict Megan.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Grissom was so engrossed in his entomology book that he barely noticed Catherine coming into his office. He only looked up slightly as she began addressing him.

"I think I know who killed Jason," she said triumphantly, and dropped the evidence bag onto Gil's desk. He looked at it, confused.

"And this is…?"

"A bracket," she grinned. "They're used to hold the wires on kid's teeth, you know, for braces."

"And you know who killed Jason because…?"

"Megan Alexander is missing a bracket from her braces."

Grissom smiled to himself. "There could be a million reasons why this was at our crime scene."

"Megan told me she got hit by a basketball in gym class," pushed Catherine. "Why would she lie?"

"Kids lie for the strangest things," pointed out Grissom. "Besides, just because she's a liar doesn't make her a killer. Stop jumping to conclusions."

Catherine sighed. "Can we at least go over there and ask her some questions? I just want to be sure."

"Fine," shrugged Grissom, "But if this backfires, I can't help you."

Catherine nodded and went to get Nick.

A/N: A big thank you to those of you who have actually reviewed, please keep them coming!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Look, I've already told you guys, I had nothing to do with it!"

"Megan, we're not accusing you of anything!" groaned Catherine. "We just think that you might be able to help us understand what's happened."

"We have security cameras all over the landings and exits," Caitlyn said suddenly. "My late husband had them installed, because of our inheritance."

Megan suddenly looked scared, like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car. Catherine and Gil followed Mrs Alexander to the camera room.

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Grissom pointed at the screen, which was frozen on a shot of Jason going through a doorway.

"Whose room is that?" asked Catherine.

"I can't tell," said Grissom. "It could be either Lucy or Megan's bedroom, I can't tell."

"Well, considering who our prime suspect is, I think we can safely say it's Megan's room he's going into."

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Megan sullenly sat on the hospital bed as Sara prepared the camera.

"You're very quiet," commented Sara.

"Well, you guys don't seem to listen to a thing I say, so I've kind of given up," snapped Megan.

"I know how that feels," said Sara. "I used to be in foster care. Every time I tried to speak up and say what I wanted, I just got treated like a little kid. They told me that I didn't know what was best for me, and to leave it to the adults."

Megan suddenly felt close to Sara. She knew what that felt like, especially since Lucy had been born. Nobody ever seemed to respect her wishes or feelings.

"We're ready," said Sara. She put the camera down for a moment and untied the top of Megan's hospital gown. "If you feel uncomfortable at any time, just say and I'll stop."

"You don't have to do this," pleaded Megan. "He didn't do anything to me, you're looking at the wrong girl!"

"It's okay," Sara said softly. "He can't hurt you anymore."

Megan sighed and let her take pictures with the ultra-violet camera, immensely relieved when Sara finally put the camera down.

"Thank you," smiled Sara. Megan scowled.

Back at the lab, Sara's mouth opened wide as the photos came up on her computer screen.

"You look like you've seen a ghost!" said Warrick, as he passed by the lab.

"There is not a scratch on this kid," gasped Sara. "I swear, it's impossible.

"Well, looks like we're going to have to go back there and ask some more questions."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Caitlyn looked shocked as the CSIs explained to her why, yet again, they were back at her house.

"Wait, so … no, it can't be! Jason loved my kids, he would never hurt them!"

"Well, Ms Alexander, it's obvious that he loved one of them too much. We have it on tape that he went into either Megan or Lucy's room, and Megan had no bruising on her whatsoever."

"Mom, what's going on?" Megan appeared behind her mother on the stairs.

"Nothing, Megan, just go back -"

"Actually, Ms Alexander, we'd like to talk to Megan," interrupted Gil. Megan reluctantly came to the door.

"Can you explain to us why we found your missing bracket at the crime scene?" he asked.

"I don't know," mumbled Megan.

"Oh, I think you do know," smiled Grissom.

"You don't understand," said Megan. "He was going into my daughter's room every night, I had to do something!"

Grissom looked mildly surprised, while Catherine looked utterly shocked. Caitlyn looked a little annoyed.

"Every morning Lucy would come up to me and ask why I was letting him hurt her," said Megan, her voice quivering. "He told me that if I ever told anyone he'd kill Lucy. I had to do something!"

"I'm still curious as to how you did it," inquired Grissom.

"I waited until Mom had taken Lucy and Daniel to preschool, then I got a knife from the kitchen and stabbed him. I knew that my prints would already be on them, so I didn't have to worry about that. He saw me coming and that's when he punched me in the mouth. At least Lucy will never have to be scared of going to sleep ever again."

"Lucy doesn't have a mother anymore," said Catherine. "You could have done anything other than what you did."

Tears streamed down Megan's cheeks as she was handcuffed by the officer accompanying Catherine and Grissom. Lucy looked on, cuddling into Caitlyn, as her mother was led away.

"When did Megan become pregnant?" asked Grissom.

"Three years ago," replied Caitlyn. "She was only twelve when it happened. She was walking home and some guy attacked her. She refused to have an abortion, said it wasn't the baby's fault. I made her keep it a secret though, pretend that the baby was mine. Looks like it was a good thing I did."

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Grissom leafed through the paperwork on his desk. Maybe another night…

"I need some help! Please, somebody help!"

Grissom came out into the corridor, where young officers were running around, desperate for any help they could get. He followed them to the holding cells, where Megan was lying on her small bed, her lips blue.

"She's OD'd on something, sir!" yelled an officer to Grissom. "It's been in her system for quite some time, by the looks of it!"

The realisation hit Grissom like a tonne of bricks - Megan had known that she would be arrested, it had been obvious. She must have swallowed it just before they arrived, no wonder she'd looked weird.

Just as Megan breathed her last breath, she mouthed something to Grissom. From what he could tell, she was saying "Lucy".


End file.
